Piano action



Aug. 7, 1962 w. J. QUEDNAU 3,048,074

PIANO ACTION Filed March 25, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. WAL 75/2 J Quan/mu A TTU/QWEVJ.

Filed March 25, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR. #VM T5@ J QUEDA/A U www,

Aug. 7, 1962 Filed March 25, 1959 W. J. QUEDNAU PIANO ACTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

M/A 75A J. @U50/VA U La/w, /MAal M4@ United States Patent Office 3,043,074 HAN() AC'HN Waiter J. Quednau, 321 Vandervoort St., North Tonawanda, NX. Filed Mar. 25, i959, Ser. No. Stllti 14 Claims. (Cl. 84m-24h) This invention relates to piano actions and particularly to a vertical type of action such as is employed in upright pianos.v This application is a continuation-impart of my copending application, Serial No. 729,776, filed April 2l, 1958, nowabandoned.

Conventional vertical piano actions are of the underslung type involving a jack lever which is disposed beneath the hammer shank and extends downwardly to the wippen, the latter being operated in turn by means extending upward from the key in the form of an abstract or prolong member. The mechanism leading to the hammer from the key, and particularly the mechanism between the hammer shank and the wippen, is quite complex and is difficult to regulate properly while the action is in the piano. It is therefore awkward and unwieldy to properly regulate conventionalvertical key actions without removing `the same entirely from the piano.

Furthermore, each action involves the use of numerous parts and a plurality of spring members and when these parts and springs are multiplied by the number of keys of the piano, thousands of parts enter into the construction. The cost of conventional actions is accordingly a major item of the cost of a piano, especially in the case of smaller pianos of the spinet type. In addition to the matter of cost, the complex actions in current use in upright and spinet pianos are prone to be, come maladjusted.

The `action of the present invention effects a substantial reduction in the number of parts land in particular reduces the number of springs required in each individual action. Furthermore, the parts of the present action are far more accessible for repair and adjustment than heretofore and the construction is such that the major portions of individual actions may be removed as a unit where required. The actions of the present invention are more economical to manufacture, both by reason of the reduction in number of parts and by reason of the simplicity of arrangement of the parts that are employed.

lT he construction of the present invention further provides lan action which is more Vcertain in its operation, both by reason of the more simple mechanism and by reason of the fact that the striking impulse is translated from a key to its related hammer shank in a simpler and more effective and efficient manner than in vertical piano actions heretofore known or used. Apart from other factors present in the actions of the present invention, their very simplicity renders them less subject to maladjustment and misfunctioning.

Speaking in very general terms, piano actions conf structed in accordance with the present invention involve a generally upright pivoted hammer shank with a jack member which is likewise generally upright and pivoted to the hammer shank at its upper end at a point along thehammer shank which is spaced a substantial distance above the pivotal mounting of the hammer shank itself.

exemplary constructions illustrated in the drawings andV described later herein. Y

The movement of the jack away from the hammer shank occurs just before the hammer strikes the stringto permit free rebound of the hammer from the strings to the usual partly withdrawn position which the hammer conventionally assumes after it has struck the string and before the manual key has been released. The simplicity of the present jack action and the fundamentally different mechanical arrangement embodied in the present piano actions provide an extremely rapid response and provide an action which will Voperate with extreme rapidity in repetitions action ofv a given key, which is thev ultimate test of a fully responsive action.

Further features of the present invention provide, in

conjunction with the foregoing jack arrangement, back check means and means vfor properly coordinating the relative movements of the jack member and the hammerV shank and lfor cushioning the same to provide an action which is quiet as well as mechanically effective and efficient.

A further novel feature of the present invention resides in a connection between. the hammer shank and the damper which is so arranged that the springwhichbiases the damper to damping position acts through such connection to bias the hammer shank to withdraw or rest position so that a single spring element serves all of the normal 'and usual action biasing requirements.

Furthermore, the construction and operation of the action of the present invention is such that the jack and hammer parts thereof are substantially biased to a rest position by gravitational force and therefore the spring biasing requirements 'are substantially less than in conventional piano actions. This facilitates the use of the single damper biasing spring as a means for likewise biasing'the entire action to normal rest position and renders it feasible to accomplish this result without applyingundue stresses or `forces to thecooperating parts of the action in transmitting the spring biasingI force from the damper to the shank and related mechanism.

Further objects and advantages of the novel piano key action constructions and principles of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the present art from a study of thetwo embodiments of the invention which'are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in the following specication. However, it is to be understood that such embodiments are set forth to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the spirit .and scope of the invention are not limited to the embodiments thus disclosed by way of example, nor otherwise than as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

PEG. l is a side elevational view of one form of piano action embodying the principles of the present invention Patented Aug. 7, 1952 v with the. parts thereof in a fully returned or rest position and with the manual key released;

FIG. 2 is a View similar to FIG. 1 but showing the parts in the position which they assume after a key has been struck and before it has 'been released, this position being described in the following specification merely by way of convenience as the rebound position ofthe parts of the action; Y

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing a moditied form of the jack construction of the present invention,likewise` in the rest position ofthe parts; andv FIG.A 4 is aV side" elevational view of the' piano action' fFIG; 3 but with the parts in `the s`o-called rebound position wherein the key has been depressed to strike the strings but has not been released.`

. Reference will now be had to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and like characters of reference denote like parts in these two iigures. Referring first to the generally stationary components'of the piano key action; illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the numeral designates a key bed back rail, the numeral, 11 designates an action rail and the numeral 12 designates a hammer rail, while a piano string is indicated at 14. In the construction of the present invention a single action r-ail supports the entire action and there is no need for the lower action rail found in comparable prior art piano actions.

The piano action illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 -is of the type wherein the keyboard is elevated relative to the key action proper to permit a low piano construction of the spinet typef but the principles of the present invention are equally applicable to actions which 'lie generally above the keyboard. The rear end ofa conventional piano key is shown at 16 and inv the present instance includes a' downwardly extending arm 17 which terminates in an abutment 18which supports a key operating striker plate or knuckle plate 19'.

. In FIG. 1 they action is shown in its rest position wherein the front end of the keyv 16 (not shown) is raised and the rear end thereof is resting vupon a back rail cloth 20 on back rail V10. Knuckle plate 19 is supported upon a screw 22 which threads into the abutment or terminal block member 18 of key 16 and knuckle plate 19 is loosely riveted to the upper end of screw 22 whereby the screw may be rotated, by means of la slot in its upper end, to adjust, the elevation of the knuckle plate fulcrum and whereby the knuckle plate is free lto rock or pivot to a limited degree` on its connection with screw 22.

A knuckle plate regulating screw is designated 23 and a spring` 24 disposed, about the screw 23 between abutment block 18. and knuckle plate 19 urges the latter in a counterclockwisedirection about i-ts pivoted mounting upon screw 22. Manipulationof screw 23 adjusts the inclin-ation of .knuckle plate 19 on its flc'rum on screw 22 and, together with the elevation adjustment afforded by screw 22, renders the knuckle plate fully adjustable from above by` simple screw ydriver.operation. An auxiliary bearingplatez is lixed to the outer end of knuckle plate 19.for purposeswhich vu'll presently appear.

, A double ended flange member designated is fixed to the upper side of action rail 11 and includes a hammer ange portion 31 and a damper flange portion 32. A hammer shank 34 is pivoted adjacent to its lower Aend to hammer flange portionr31 and has a conventional hammer head 35 at its upper end. In rest position the hammer shankl rests against a hammer rail felt 36 carried by hammer r-ail 12. y j t `A damper. lever 40 is pivoted to damper ange portion andris provided with a damper wire 41 and a damper head `V42, all plof, generally conventional construction. Damper lever 40 is urged to damping position by a damper lever spring 44 which is anchored to flange block 30 and bears against the upper end of damper lever 40, as clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. p a

A conventional damper lifting 'rod operated bythe susl 4 Y taining pedal of the piano is designated 46 Iand is adapted to b ear agai-nst a felt 47 at the lower end of damper lever 40 when the sustaining pedal is depressed.

A cord 50 is attached at one end to the lower end of hammer shank 34 which extends below the hammer shank pivot 'and at its other end to a hook member 51 which projects from damper lever 40 above its pivotal mounting. Thus pivotal movement of hammer shank 34 to move the hammer head 3S toward and against piano string 14 raises the damper head 42 from the piano string by accompanying clockwise pivotal movement of the damper lever through the cord 50' and against the resistance of damper lever spring 4'4. Conversely, the damper spring 44 acts through damper lever 40 and cord 50` to bias the hammer shank to its rest position of FIG. 1 and thus eliminates the necessity for a hammer spring or socalled spring rail spring and the hammer and jack relationship is such that the usual jack spring is also obviated. Elimination of a separate hammer spring alsol eliminates the usual spring rail which supports the several hammer springs in conventional actions.

A jack ilange 53 is pivoted to hammer shank 34 and has fixed thereto a lever 54 which in the present embodiment is a combinedrjack lever and back check lever; At its lower end the lever 54 is provided with a jack knuckle 56 which, in the rest position, rests upon the auxiliary plate 26 of knuckle plate 19. In this position a blocking felt 57 carried by the lower portion of jack lever 54 bears againsty hammer shank 34 to limit the clockwise pivotal movement of the jack and back check lever 54 relative to the hammer shank.

A blocking felt 58 lat the upper end of lever 54 bears against shank 34 to serve as a back check, as clearly shown in FIG. 2. However, in this form of the action of the present invention the over-center position of the jack lever in the rebound position illustrated in FIG. 2 normally provides a sutiicient back check and the felt 58 is supplemental andy mainly desirable to take care of very heavy key strokes.

A jack trip regulation means is provided in the form o f an arm 60 projecting from the jack portion of lever 54 and a cooperating felt-faced abutment me-mber 61 which is adjustablysupported from a fixed rail `62 by a screw 63. This adjustable abutment regulation means determines the rebound positions which the parts of the piano action assume after the hammer has struck the string and before the key is released, as shown in FIG. 2.

-In this condition of the parts the back check blocking felt 58y 4is against hammer shank 34 and the jack and back check lever 54 may be considered as a unit with hammer shank 34, this unit being pivoted to hammer flange 311. In vthis position the unit comprising hammer shank 34 and lever 54 is restrained against counterclockwise pivotal movement by engagement of arm 60 of they jack lever 54 against stationary abutment 61 and the unit is restrained against clockwise pivotal movement by the engage-mentr of jack knuckle 56 against knuckle plate '19 in an over-center position.

When the key is released. and the terminal portion 18 thereof lowers to release the jack knuckle 56 from its overcenter position, the unit comprising hammer shank 34 and lever 54 falls to the rest or starting postion of FIG. 1 under the force ofV .gravity supplemented by the bias of the damper spring 44.

A cord 64 extends from a point of securement 65 upon the fixed ilange block 30 to a point of attachment 66 to the jack and back check lever 54 and serves to insure clockwise pivotal movement of lever `54 during movement of hammer `shank 34 yfrom 'the rebound position illustrated in FIG. 2 to the rest position of FIG. 1 upon return movement of key 16 to fully released position, to restore lever 54 to its desired rest position with jack knuckle 56 disposed upon the auxiliary bearing plate 26 of knuckle plate 19, as illustrated in FIG. l.

In the key action of the present invention the jack seasons 54 trips just before hammer 35 strikes the string 14 by overcenter action of the jack knuckle 56 from its position on auxiliary plate 26 to a position more nearly over the screw 22 as 'generally illustrated in FIG. 2, thus permitting free rebound` of the hammer head from the string 14.

The importance of the tripping of the jack rapidly and at the'properV instant to leave the hammer entirely free to rebound from the string instantaneously will be appreciated by those skilled in the present art and the present jack arrangement provides for extremely fast and lsensitive jack action and rendersrepetitious operation of a key very fast and altogether very superior.

Auxiliary plate 26 is effective in the case of heavier hammers to prevent the hammer head from rebounding to the strings after the first impact, since the jack knuckle S6 drops behind the adjacent edge of plate 26 as shown in FlG. 2. l

Reference will now be had to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 and, as in the first embodiment, like characters of reference denote like parts in these two figures. In general, and wherever feasible, the parts in this embodiment are identified by reference numerals 11i@ higher than the refference numerals of the corresponding parts in the prevous embodiment. Again, referring first to the generally stationary components of the piano key action illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the numeral 11d designates a key bed back rail, the numeral 111 designates an action rail and the numeral 112 designates a hammerrail,r while a piano string is indicated at 114. i

The piano action illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 is of theconventional type, as distinguished from the previous embodiment, whereinthe keyboard is elevated relative to thekey action proper. The rear end of a conventional piano key is shown at 116 and its rear terminal portion supports a key operating striker plate or knuckle plate 119.

In FIG. 3 the action is shown in its rest position wherein the front end (not shown) of the key 116 is raised and the rear end thereofis resting upon a back'rail cloth 120 on back rail 1161. Knuckle plate 119 is supported upon a screw 122 which threads into the terminal portion of key 116 and, as in the preceding embodiment, knuckle plate 119 is loosely riveted to,` the upper end of screw 122 whereby the screw may be rotated to adjust the elevation of the knuckle plate fulcrum and whereby the latter is free to rock or pivot to alimited degree on its connection with screw 122.

A knuckle plate regulating screw is designated 123 and a spring `124 disposed about the screw 123 between the key 116 and knuckle plate 119 urges the latter` in a counter-clockwise direction about its pivotal mounting upon `screw 122. Here again full and complete adjustment of the position and attitude of the knuckle plate may be effected from above by means of a screwdriver.

double ended flange block designated 13Gis fixed to the upper side of action rail 111 and includes a hammer flange portion 131 and a damper flange portion 132. A

yhammer shank 134 is pivoted adjacent to its lower end to hammer flange portion 131 and has a conventional `harnmer head 135 at its upper end. 1n rest position the hammer shank rests against a hammer rail felt `136 carried by ham-mer rail 112.

A damper lever 141i is pivoted to damper flange portionk 132 and is provided with a damper wire 141 and adamper head 142, all of generallyl conventional construction. Damper lever'14ti is urged to damping position by a damper lever spring 144 which is anchored to liange block 13d and bears against the upper end of damper lever 14u, as clearly illustrated in FlGS. 3 and 4.

A conventional damper lifting rod operated by the,

sustaining pedal of the piano is designated 146 and is adapted to bear against a felt 147 at the lower end of damper lever 141) when the sustaining pedal is depressed.

A cord-151) is attached at one end 149 to the lower end of hammer shank 134 and at its other end 152 to a hook member 151 which projects from damper lever 141), whereby pivotal movement of hammer shank 1314 to move the hammer head 135 against piano string 114 raises the damper head 142 from the piano string by accompanying clockwise pivotal movement of the damper lever through the cord 150 and against the resistance of damper lever spring A144. As in the preceding embodiment, the damper spring 144 biases the hammer shank and the entire action to rest position and supplements the action of gravity in this regard.

A jack flange 153 is pivoted to hammer shank 134 and has fixed thereto a jack lever 154. At its lower end the jack lever 154 is provided with a freely rotatable jack knuckle 156 which is in a position to be engaged by knuckle plate 119 upon upward movement of the latter. in the rest position of F18. 3 a blocking felt 157 carried by the lower portion of jack lever 154 bears against hammer shank 134 to limit the clockwise pivotal movement of the jack lever 14 relative to the hammer shank.

in FGS. 3 and 4- a back check lever is designated 153 and is pivoted to an arm 159 which is attached to a back check supporting rail 16d. Back check rail 16@ is separate from hammer rail 112 to permit of independent adjustment of either of these rails. A wire link 161 is pivoted at its lower end 164 to the upper surface of key 116 by means of a pivot block 162 and is pivotally connected at its upper end 167 to back check lever 158, the latter being provided with a blocking felt 163.

A back check abutment block 165 is. fixed to hammer shank 134 and is provided with a felt facing 166. 1t will be noted by reference to FiG.,4 that the blocking felt 163 of back check lever 15% and the felt facing 166 of back check abutment 165 are in abutment when the hammer shank 134 returns from its string striking position to the R rebound position illustrated in B1G. 4 wherein the key f is still depressed and the damper head 142 is still held from the string 114. This position of FlG. 4 corresponds to the position of the parts illustrated in FlG. 2in connection with the first described embodiment.

As in the previous embodiment, the present back check members comprising the structure identified by the numerals 1515 through 167 are merely supplemental to the back check of the over-center action of the jack 154 on the knuckle plate 119.

A spoon member 170 is fixed to flange block 130 and an angular wire spring arm 171y is attached to spoon member 17%. A depending V-shaped abutment member 172 is attached to jack flange 153 at the side opposite to the jack lever 154 and the abutment 172 is provided with a felt facing 173. Abutment 172 depends between spoon member 170 and spring arm 171 as will appear from a consideration of FG. 4.

When the parts are in the position shown in FiG. 3 the upward movement of plate 119 against roller 156 has no component tending to turn the jack 133 in a counterclockwise direction on its pivot to the hammer shank,

v the line of force being to the left of such pivot. rIhus the yrebound from the string, as in the previous embodiment.

Thus during the rebound movement of the hammer shank the jack 153 is moving to the position shown in FIG. 4, wherein the hammer has rebounded from the string but the key 116 is still depressed. In this position the roller `156 is in a slightly over-center position on knuckle plate When key 116 is released and the rear end thereof moves downwardly, permitting the jack assembly and the hammer assembly to move to the rest position of FIG. 3, spring arm 171 engages behind abutment member 172 of jack flange 153 to cause the same to move tothe rest position illustrated in FIG. 3 when the hammer shank 134 has fully returned to its rest position, likewise as illustrated in FIG. 3. This coercive action of the spring arm 71 on the jack lever is equivalent to the similar action of cord 64 on the jack lever 54 in the preceding embodiment.

What I claim is:

l. In a piano, a key and a generally upright piano string disposed behind the same7 a relatively xed support, a generally upright hammer shank between said key and string having ahammer head at its upper end and having pivotal mounting adjacent to its lower end on said support, a jack having pivotal connection to said hammer shank at a point substantially above the pivotal mounting of and lying along the hammer shank, said jack depending therefrom at the keyboard side of said hammer shank, the depending portion of said jack being movable toward and away from the hammer shank about its pivotal connection therewith, said jack depending portion and said hammer shank having portions lying between said hammer shank pivotal mounting and said jack pivotal connection adapted to abut laterally when the parts are in rest position, and plate means operable by depression of said key to move upwardly against said depending portion of the jack to pivot the hammer shank toward string striking position, said jack depending portion being adapted to move away from said hammer shank by overcenter movement of the lower end thereof on said plate means just prior to string impact to permit free rebound of said hammer head from the piano string.

2. In a piano, a key and a generally upright piano string disposed behind the same, a relatively i'ixed support, a generally upright hammer shank between said key and string having a hammer head at its upper end and having a pivotal mounting adjacent to its lower end on said support, a jack having pivotal connection to said `hammer shank at 'a point substantially above the pivotal mounting of and lying along the hammer shank, said jack depending therefrom at the keyboard side of said hammer shank, the depending portion of said jack being movable toward and away from the hammer shank about its pivotal connection therewith, said jack depending portion and said hammer shank having portions lying between said hammer shank pivotal mounting and said jack pivotal connection adapted to abut laterally when the parts are in rest position, and means operable by depression of said key for raising said jack to pivot the hammer shank toward string striking position, said jack depending portion being adapted to move away from said hammer shank as the hammer head approaches string impact to permit free rebound thereof from the pianoy string.

3. In a piano, a key and a generally upright piano string disposed behind the same, a relatively fixed support, a generally upright hammer shank between said key and `string having a hammer 4head at its upper end and having pivotal mounting adjacent to its lower end on said support, a jack having pivotal connection to said hammer shank at a point substantially above the pivotal mounting of and lying along`the hammer shank, said jack depending therefrom at the keyboard side of side hammer shank, the depending portion of said jack being movable toward and away from the hammer shank about its pivotal connection therewith, and plate means operable by `depression of said key to move upwardly against said depending portion of the jack `to pivot the hammer shank toward string striking position, said jack depending portion being adapated to swing away from said hammer shank `during string striking movement of the hammer shank and toward the same during return movement.

4. Ina piano, a key and a generally upright piano string disposed behind the same, a relatively fixed support, a generally upright hammer shank between said key and string having a hammer head at its upper end and having pivotaly mounting adjacent to its lower end on said support, a jack having pivotal connection to said hammer shank at a point substantially above the pivotal mounting of and lying along the hammer shank, said jack depending therefrom at the keyboard side of said hammer shank, the depending portion `of said jack being movable toward and away from the hammer shank'about its pivotal connection therewith, and plate means operable by depression of said key to move upwardly against said depending portion of the jack to pivot the hammer shank toward string striking position, said jack depending portion being adapted to swing away from said hammer shank during string striking movement of the hammer shank and toward the same during return movement, and cushioning means limiting the swinging movement of said jack toward and away from said` hammer shank.

5. In a piano, a key and a generally upright piano string disposed behind the same, a relatively fixed sup-V ing portion and said hammer shank having portions lying between said hammer shank pivotal mounting and said jack pivotal connection adapted to abut laterally when the parts are in rest position, means operable by depression of said key to move upwardly against said jack to pivot the hammer shank toward string striking position, and means acting against said jack to move the same away from said hammer shank just prior to string impact to permit free rebound of said hammer head from the piano string.

6. In a piano, a key and a generally upright piano string disposed behind the same, a relatively fixed support, a generally upright hammer shank between said key and string having a hammer head at its upper end and having pivotal mounting adjacent to its lower end on said support, a generally transverse jack support pivoted to said hammer shank substantially above its pivotal mounting, a jack lever iixed to said jack support at the keyboard side of said hammer shank and depending therefrom generally parallel to said hammer shank, the depending portion of said jack being moveable toward and away from the hammer shank about the pivotal connection of said jack support, and plate means operable by depression of said key to move upwardly against said depending portion of the jack lever to pivot the hammer shank vtoward string striking position, `said jack lever depending portion being adapted to move away from said hammer shank by over-center movement of the lower end thereof on said plate means just prior to string impact'to permit free rebound of said hammer head from the piano string, and an abutment on said jack lever above said jack support engageable against the hammer shank upon movement of the lower end thereof away from the hammer shank to limit such movement.

7. In a piano, a key and a gener-ally upright piano string Vdisposed behind the same, a relatively xed support, a

generally upright hammer shank between said key and string having a hammer head at its upper end and having pivotal mounting adjacent to its lower end on said support, a generally transverse jack support pivoted to said hammer shank substantially above its pivotal mounting, a jack lever tixed to said jack support at the keyboard side of said hammer shank and depending therefrom generally parallel to said hammer shank, the depending portion ofy said jack being movable toward and away from the hammer shank about the pivotal connection of said jack support, and means operable by depression of said key to move against said depending portion of the jack lever to pivot the hammer shank toward string striking position, said jack lever depending portion being adapted toy move away from said hammer shank-prior to string impact to permit free rebound of said hammer head from the piano string, and an abutment on said jack lever above said jack `supportengageabile against the hammer shank upon movement of the lower end thereof away from the hammer shank to limit such movement.

8. In a piano, a key anda generally upright piano string disposed behind the same, a relatively fixed support, a generally upright hammer shank between said key and string having a hammer head at its upper and and having pivotal mounting adjacent to its lower end on said support, a jack having pivotal connection to said hammer shank at a point substantially above the pivotal mounting of and lying along the hammer `sh-ank, said jack depending therefrom at the keyboard side of said hammer shank, the depending portion of said jack being movable toward and away from the hammer shank about its pivotal connection therewith, said jack depending portion and said hammer shank having portions lying between said hammer shank pivotal mounting and said jack pivotal connection adapted to abut laterally when the parts are in rest position, and plate means carried by the rear end of said key and adapted to move upwardly against said depending portion of the jack to pivot the hammerV shank toward string striking position, and means for adjusting the height and inclination of said plate means relative to said key, said jack depending portion being adapted to move away from said hammer shank by over-center movement of the lower end thereof on said plate means just prior to string impact to permit free rebound of said hammer head from the piano string.

9. In a piano, a key land a generally upright piano string disposed behind the same, a relatively ixed support, a generally upright hammer shank between said key and string having a hammer head at its upper end and having pivotal mounting adjacent to its lower end on said support, a jack having pivotal connection to said hammer shank at a point substantially above the pivotal mounting of and lying along the hammer shank, said jack depending therefrom at the keyboard side of said hammer shank, the depending portion of said jack being movable toward and away from the hammer shank about its pivotal connection therewith, said jack depending portion and ysaid hammer shank having portions lying between said hammer shank pivotal mounting and said jack pivotal connection adapted to abut laterally when the parts are in rest position, plate means operable bydepression of said key to move 4upwardly against said depending portion 'of the jack to pivot the hammer shank toward string striking position, said jack depending portion being adapted to move away from ysaid hammer shank by over-center movement of the lower end thereof on said plate means just prior to stirng impact to permit free rebound of said hammer head from the piano str-ing, and means acting against said jack upon return movement of'said hammer shank to pivot the lower end of the jack toward the hammer shank.

l0. In a piano, a key and a generally upright piano string disposed behind the same, relatively xed support means, a generally upright hammer shank between said key and string having a hammer head at its upper end and having pivotal mounting adjacent to its lower end with respect to said support means, a damper lever piv- 1 oted with respect to said support means, a jack having pivotal connection to said hammer shank at a point substantially above the pivotal mounting of and Ilying along the hammer shank, said jack depending therefrom at the keyboard side of said hammer shank, .and means operable by depression of said key to move upwardly against said depending portion ofthe jack to pivot the hammer shank toward string striking position, said jack depending portion being adapted to move away from said hammer shank l just prior to string impact to permit free reboundof said hammer head from the piano string, resilient means urging said damper lever to string damping position, and a connection between said damper lever and said hammer shank whereby the string damping urge of said resilient means biases said hammer shank toward rest position.

11. In a piano,'a key and a generally upright piano string disposed behind the same, relatively iixed support means, a gener-ally upright hammer shank between said key and string having a hammer head at its upper end and having pivotal mounting adjacent to its lower end with respect to said support means, a pivoted damper lever having a damper head at its upper end, resilient means urging said damper lever to damping position, a jack having pivotal connection to said hammer shank at a point substantially above the pivotal mounting of and lying along the hammer shank, said jack depending therefrom at the keyboard side of said hammer shank, and means operable by depression of said key to move upwardly against said depending portion of the jack to pivot the hammer shank toward string striking position, said jack depending portion being adapted to move away from ksaid hammer shank just prior to string impact to permit free rebound of'said hammer head iro-rn the piano string, and a connection between said damper lever above its pivotal mounting and said hammer shank below its pivoted mounting whereby said damper Ilever resilient means urges said hammer shank toward rest position.

12. In a piano, a key and a generally upright piano string disposed behind the same, relatively fixed support means, a generally upright hammer shank between said key and string having a hammer head at its upper end and having pivotal mounting adjacent to its lower end with respect to said support means, a damper lever pivoted with respect to said support means, a jack having pivotal connection to said ham-mer shank at a point substantially above the pivotal mounting of and lying along the hammer shank, said jack depending therefrom at the keyboard side of said hammer shank, and means operable by depression of said key to move upwardly against said depending portion of the'jack to pivot the hammer shank toward string striking position, resilient means urging said damper lever to string damping position, and a connection between said damper lever and said hammer shank whereby the string damping urge of said resilient means biases said hammer shank toward rest position.

,13. In a piano, a key and a generally upright piano string disposed behind the same, a relatively xed support, a generally upright hammer shank between said key and string having a hammer head at its upper end and having pivotal mounting adjacent to its lower end on. said support, a generally transverse jack support pivoted to said hammer shank substantially above its pivotal mounting, a jack lever xed to said jack support at the keyboard side of said hammer shank and depending therefrom generally parallel to said hammer shank, the depending portion of said jack being movable toward and away from the hammer shank about the pivotal connection of said jack support, and plate means operable by depression of said key to move upwardly against said depending portion of the jack lever to pivot the hammer shank toward string striking position, said jack lever depending portion being adapted to move away from said hammer shank by overcenter movement of the lower end thereof on said platetion, said jack lever depending portion being adapted to 1 l 12 hammer shank substantially above its pivotal mounting, a to permit free rebound `of said hammer head from the jak lever xed to said jack support at the keyboard side piano string. of said hammer shank and depending therefrom generally References Cited in the me of this patente parallel to said hammer shank, the dependmg portion of UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 6,605 France July 31, 1834 move away from said hammer shank prior to string impact 451,554 Great Britain Aug.17, 1936 

